NASHVILLE,
Tenn. - Senior Sarah Riske (McMurray, Pa.) and junior Aleke
Tsoubanos (Chesterfield, Mo.) moved up one spot to No. 3 in
the Intercollegiate Tennis Association doubles rankings, which
was released on Wednesday, after posting a 4-1 mark since
the last poll.

Riske and Tsoubanos will head into the NCAA Tournament,
which begins on May 9 at a campus site yet to be determined,
with a 28-5 overall record and a 19-4 mark in dual matches.
In the Southeastern Tournament quarterfinals last weekend,
Riske and Tsoubanos scored an 8-4 win over fifth-ranked Vilmarie
Castellvi and Melissa Schaub. Their win over Tennessee’s
top duo avenged an earlier season dual-match loss.

Vanderbilt’s No. 2 doubles team of junior Kelly Schmandt
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) and sophomore Audre Falk (Cincinnati,
Ohio) slipped only two spots in the poll, as they fell to
No. 31. The duo has had a phenomenal season for the Commodores,
as they will head to the NCAA Tournament with a 21-6 overall
record and a 18-4 mark in dual matches.

In singles, Riske stayed firm at 15th, which makes her the
fourth highest-ranked player in the SEC. She is 23-8 on the
year, which includes an 18-5 dual-match record. Except for
one poll, Riske has been ranked in the Top 20 the entire year.

Tsoubanos took a slight dip in the rankings, falling four
spots to No. 72. Tsoubanos is 16-4 in dual competition at
the No. 2 position for head coach Geoff Macdonald. She has
won 10 of her last 11 matches. Freshman Ashley Schellhas rounds
things out at No. 123. The freshman has been very reliable
at the No. 5 position, leading the team in overall wins (24)
and dual-match winning percentage (.889).

The women’s team slipped from No. 12 to No. 13 in
the ITA team rankings following its loss to No. 8 Tennessee
in the SEC Tournament. The Commodores are awaiting whether
or not they will receive one of the 16 hosting sites for the
NCAA Tournament. The tournament selection show will be on
April 30.